2021: Animation Year in Review

Hello, Everyone!

This is my first blog in quite a while. I'm hoping to start a trend this year and blog more often. The best place for me to start is with Animation, something near and dear to my heart. So, let's begin with a recount of what I saw in 2020, and what stood out.  The lists are actually in the order in which they were viewed. 

Features

Away (2019, Latvia, Tubi)

Junkers Come Home (1983, Japan, Tubi)

Xico's Journey (2020, Mexico, Netflix)

Wolfwalkers (2020, Ireland, Apple +)

From Up on Poppy Hill (2011, Japan, Disney+)

Redline (2010, Japan, Tubi)

The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021, USA, Netflix)

Wish Dragon (2021, Hong Kong, Netflix)

Luca (2021, USA, Disney+)

Words Bubble Up Like Soda (2020, Japan, Netflix)

My Neighbors, the Yamadas (1999, Japan, Disney+)

Vivo (2021, USA, Netflix)

Millenium Actress (2002, Japan, Netflix)

The Loud House Movie (2021, USA, Nick)

Only Yesterday (1991, Japan, Netflix)

Firedrake, the Silver Dragon (2021, Germany, Netflix)

Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom (2016, Canada, Hulu)

Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom (2017, Canada, Hulu)

Howard Lovecraft and the Kingdom of Madness (2018, Canada, Hulu)

Pokemon, the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (2021, Japan, Netflix)

Ron's Gone Wrong (2021, USA, Disney+)

Encanto (2021, USA, Disney+)

Cryptozoo (2021, USA, Hulu)

Hilda and the Mountain King (2021, USA, Netflix)

Shorts (YouTube, unless marked)

Blue & Malone, detectives inaginarios (2020, Spain)

Dummies (2013, Spain)

Namakura Gatana (1917, Japan)

Les Escargots (1966, France)

Kapaemaku (2020, USA)

Urvan (2021, Japan)

Odd Dog (2019, USA)

Bon Voyage, Sim (1966, Niger)

Rejected (2000, USA)

Umbrella (2020, USA)

100,000 Acres of Pine (2020, USA, Sohome Horror Festival)

Monster Pets (2021, USA)

The Owl and the Pussycat (2020, UK)

The Song of the Lost Boy (2020, UK)

Yes-People (2020, Iceland)

The Voyage (2020, Ireland)

Right Now (2020, USA)

La Bestia (2020, Mexico)

Tomorrow Leaves (2021, Japan)

Majd and the Librarian (2021, UAE)

The Animal Movie (1966, Canada)

Ciao, Alberto (2021, USA, Disney+)

Robin, Robin (2021, UK, Netflix)

Bad Seeds (2021, Canada)

Blush (2021, USA, Apple+)

Series and Specials

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, Season 2 (Netflix)

Stillwater-Episodes 1-6 (Apple +)

Infinity Train- Book 4 (HBOMax)

Love, Death & Robots, Season 2 (Netflix)

Godzilla: Singular Point (Netflix)

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, Season 3 (Netflix)

Bluey-Seasons 1 & 2 (Disney Junior) 

Sharkdog (Netflix)

Sharkdog's Fishtastic Halloween (Netflix)

Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (Netflix)

Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, Season 4 (Netflix)

How to Train Your Dragon, The 9 Realms (Netflix)

Stillwater-Episodes 7-13 (Apple+) 

So, the question becomes: What best views of the year? Let's go over them!

Features

Away

Wolfwalkers

The Mitchells vs. The Machines

Luca

Millenium Actress

Vivo

Ron's Gone Wrong

Encanto

Hilda and the Mountain King

Last year's nominee for the Best Animated Feature Oscar, Wolfwalkers, from Ireland's Cartoon Saloon, is maybe my most favorite of 2021's viewing. Third movie in the Irish Folklore Trilogy, Wolfwalkers is a feast for the eyes and a story for the soul. My advice, either take Apple+ for the seven day trial or purchase the boxed set of the three films by GKids. You won't be sorry.

Four of these film will likely get Oscar buzz, namely, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Luca, Vivo, and Encanto. As much as I loved Luca, Encanto will take the prize this year, but don't let that stop you from seeing the other three. And if you liked The Mitchells etc., you will also enjoy Ron's Gone Wrong, which is almost as fun and heartfelt as the aforementioned film. 

Millenium Actress is one that I should have seen years ago. It is directed by the immortal Satoshi Kon and is a wonderful character study. Hilda and the Mountain King picks up from season 2 of Hilda and, I guess, is in place of a third season. Still, magical storytelling and wonderful characters abound. 

That leaves Away. I forget what post I saw that led me to this film. Simplistically, it's the story of a boy attempting to escape being held by a creature that wants to keep him captive. But there is more to the story than meets the eye and that story is amazingly told. The movie is still available on Tubi (free). 

Shorts  (the green links to the film)

Odd Dog

100,000 Acres of Pine

Yes-People

Ciao, Alberto

Bad Seeds

Blush

This section becomes harder to talk about. I have a love for short films and seek them out wherever I can find them. That leads to a number of wonderful discoveries. 

Yes-People was an Oscar nominee for Animated Short Film last year and is very funny. Bad Seeds, from the National Film Board of Canada, has some Oscar buzz for this year, and is a very interesting series of images. If you go to Apple+ to watch Wolfwalkers, take the time to watch Blush, a very beautiful and moving sci-fi short. 100,000 Acres of Pine was a presentation of the Sohome Virtual Horror Movie Festival and is unique in perspective and storytelling. Odd Dog was something I stumbled over, and was glad I did. 

Ciao, Alberto is a follow-up to Luca. It maintains the same heart that is found in the feature and surely will get an Oscar nod. Watch it after you view Luca on Disney+.

Series

Camp Cretaceous-Season 2 & 3

Infinity Train-Book 4

Love, Death & Robots-Season 2

Bluey

How to Train Your Dragon-The 9 Realms

Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas

It's not surprising to find a series with dinosaurs among my favorites. Three seasons of Jurassic Park: Camp Cretaceous premiered in 2021, with the second and third seasons being the best. I have to agree with the criticisms of season 4, in that there was not enough dinosaurs in it. 

Love, Death & Robots is a series of short films, each standing alone in style and story. Although season 2 had a some ups and downs, it is still far superior to most animation series available. 

Infinity Train-Book 4 is the last of the series. The series continues to pulls no punches. Each season has been as good or better that the preceding season. There is a great deal of mourning that this will be the last season. I, too, mourn its loss. 

Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas is hilarious. Aardman continues to be tops in stop motion comedy. As always, pay close attention as the poke fun at a couple of our cherished Christmas stories. P.S. Do try to see Aardman's Robin, Robin. It has a good story and is unusually animated for Aardman.

Bluey. What can I say? I am so hooked on Bluey. I watch episodes over and over again. Two seasons are available in the US, with the third running in its native Australia right now. I find the show calming, hilarious and tear-jerking. Some stories work at the surface level, some work at a level that adults get and kids don't. It is a masterpiece.

I saved How to Train Your Dragon-The 9 Realms for the end. As some of you know, I write about dinosaurs. Dragons are often the competition. Despite this, I love the movie series. Before the show even premiered, people were down on it, calling it a 'cash grab' and saying they should leave the story alone. Sorry folks, I'm not listening. I love it. I think the storytelling is excellent and the characters are likeable, and the dragons are wonderful. There are only six episodes in the first season. No word when the second season will appear, but I look forward to it.  

Although we are only a few days into the new year, the list of features old and new is quite long. And, yes, Paw Patrol: the Movie is on that list. My hope is that the lists will be longer next year. All the best everyone and happy viewing.